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HomeMy WebLinkAbout29 - El Toro Reuse Planning Process - Community Friendly AirportDecember 13, 1999 Agenda Item # 29 • CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY ATTORNEYS OFFICE December 13, 1999 TO: Mayor & Members of the City Council FROM: Gary Adams, Mayor Pro Tern ( OCRAA Representative) Norma Glover, Council Member ( OCRAA Alternative) RE: El Toro Reuse Planning Process Resolution Supporting a Community Friendly Airport On November 10, 1999, the Board of Directors of the Orange County Regional Airport Authority ( OCRAA) adopted a resolution supporting a "community friendly" commercial aviation reuse of El Toro. The resolution adopted by the OCRAA Board was in response to Supervisor Coad's recent comments suggesting possible support for an El Toro airport that serves a substantial portion of our air transportation demand and does so in a way that duplicates the success the County has achieved at JWA. In her comments, Supervisor Coad confirmed her support for: 1. A two- airport system with El Toro and JWA combining to serve most of Orange County's air transportation demand; 2. An El Toro airport that focused on service of domestic markets with some international service to Canada, Mexico, and Central America; 3. An El Toro airport that is designed to meet the 18 MAP demand in forecast for 2010; and 4. An El Toro airport that is operated like JWA — with nighttime noise restrictions designed to give South County residents protection comparable to that enjoyed by residents in the JWA approach and departure corridors. We believe that the OCRAA Resolution and Supervisor Coad's comments represent a fair and reasonable approach to providing the air transportation capacity this County will need in the 215` Century. The City of Newport Beach has, for thirty years, accepted the entire burden of a growing demand for air transportation and is willing to continue to accept its fair share of the impacts. The proposed resolution supports continued commercial air carrier operations at JWA with no change in the level of operations or physical facilities and the creation of a two airport system with El Toro designed to accommodate forecast demand for 2010 (18 MAP). Hopefully, adoption of this resolution will put to rest the arguments that Newport Beach wants to close JWA. Having lived through a similar experience, Newport Beach residents and officials • understand South County concerns about a commercial aviation reuse of El Toro. However, the community friendly nature of JWA, which is due largely to the nighttime noise restrictions and the nature of the service provided, has proven that airports and high quality residential communities can peacefully co -exist and prosper. The El Toro airport described in the proposed resolution will provide South County residents with protection from aircraft noise that is comparable to that enjoyed by residents in the JWA approach and departure corridor. The proposed resolution supports an El Toro airport limited to forecast demand in 2010 (approximately 18 MAP). Assuming an 18 MAP design capacity, the two El Toro runways would handle approximately the same number of commercial aircraft departures as JWA and substantially fewer overall departures. Moreover, the focus on serving domestic and North American markets will result in a fleet mix that is very similar to aircraft in service at JWA. This resolution establishes parity between JWA and El Toro Airport in terms of noise impacts, aircraft operations, and type of aircraft. This parity will protect the quality of life for residents around the two airports and residents in other parts of Orange County who would otherwise suffer from the traffic congestion and air pollution generated by those travelling to LAX or Ontario to find air transportation. In her comments, Supervisor Coad emphasized the importance of modern air transportation to the County's continued economic vitality and expressed her concerns over the adverse impacts on the economy if the Board of Supervisors fails to convert El Toro to a commercial airport. We share those concerns and believe that the inevitable increase in demand for air passenger and air cargo service will dictate an expansion of JWA if the County fails to approve and implement a commercial aviation reuse of El Toro. RECOMMENDATION Adopt the attached resolution and direct staff to transmit the resolution to OCRAA and the Board of Supervisors. 2 • A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH SUPPORTING A COMMUNITY FRIENDLY COMMERCIAL AVIATION REUSE OF EL TORO AND CONTINUED COMMERCIAL AIRPORT OPERATIONS AT JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT (JWA) WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has been designated by the Department of Defense (DOD) as the Local Redevelopment Agency (LRA) responsible for planning and implementing a Community Reuse Plan (CRP) for MCAS El Toro (El Toro); and WHEREAS, the LRA has adopted a CRP that contemplates a commercial aviation reuse of El Toro and is in the process of preparing an Airport System Master Plan (ASMP), Airport Layout Plan (ALP) and related environmental impact report (EIR 573); and • WHEREAS, the ASMP and EIR are based on the assumption that El Toro and JWA will function as a two- airport system with the combined facilities capable of • serving the vast majority of Orange County air transportation and air cargo demand over the next twenty years; and WHEREAS, the implementation of the ALP and ASMP is proposed to be phased to coincide with demand and revenue available to fund construction of the facilities necessary to transport air passengers and air cargo; and WHEREAS, the LRA's commitment to implementation of the ALP and ASMP should be limited to a time frame within which experts can make reasonably accurate predictions of the air passenger and air cargo demand; and 1 WHEREAS, the residential communities under the approach and departure • patterns of JWA have the highest property values in the County because of the "community friendly" manner in which the Board of Supervisors operates JWA; and WHEREAS, like JWA, the property values around El Toro would be fully protected against any adverse impact the if the LRA adopted and implemented nighttime noise restrictions that gave South County residents a level of protection from noise impacts that is comparable to that enjoyed by residents around JWA; and WHEREAS, the resident of many North, Central and West Orange County Cities are currently subject to traffic congestion and air pollution caused by the inability of Orange County residents and businesses to find adequate air transportation in Orange County. This congestion and pollution will increase as development proceeds in the communities around El Toro and travel times to airports such as Ontario and LAX double during the next twenty years; and WHEREAS, the failure to convert El Toro to a commercial airport will significantly increase the potential for a costly and potentially damaging expansion of JWA — an expansion that would result in a significant increase in noise experienced by residents in many communities including Tustin, Villa Park, Orange, Newport Beach, and Costa Mesa; and WHEREAS, the failure to convert El Toro to a commercial airport will (a) adversely impact the Orange County economy and the economy of many Orange County Cities; (c) reduce the potential for increases in residential and commercial property values in many Orange County Cities in the long term; and (d) significantly increase the price of air transportation for all Orange County residents and businesses. • 2 NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS, To support the LRA in their efforts to plan for, and implement, a commercial aviation reuse of El Toro including the adoption of an ASMP and EIR 573; 2. To support adoption of an ASMP that assumes continued commercial aviation operations at JWA with no expansion of the physical facilities and no change in operational restrictions when compared to those facilities and restrictions in place as of the date of this Resolution; 3. To support adoption of an ASMP that evaluates the aviation needs of Orange County for the next twenty years. 4. To support implementation of the ASMP only to the extent necessary to serve forecast demand in 2010. Air passenger demand in 2010 is assumed to be approximately 18 map with the majority of demand in domestic markets and international markets in Canada, Mexico and Central America; 5. To support adoption and implementation of restrictions that give communities around El Toro protection from nighttime aircraft noise that is comparable to the protection enjoyed by the residential communities in the JWA approach and departure corridors. 6. To encourage the LRA to consider and approve or advocate approval of noise mitigation measures that minimize or eliminate any noise impacts associated with a commercial aviation reuse of El Toro.